Businesses or commercial facilities with large parking lots can become more eco-friendly and add functionality via commercial solar carport structures. These solar structures combine traditional parking lot covers with solar panels to provide shade, weather protection, and energy cost savings. Companies can add further functionality with features that benefit both the business and its clients.
Property owners can use the different design options provided in this article to get the most use and value from their solar hail structures.
The Multifunctional Nature of Solar Hail Structures
As their name suggests, solar hail structures protect vehicles from hail and offer a space to mount solar panels. Companies may invest in solar parking structures to protect vehicles and assets, comply with sustainability regulations, decrease energy costs, receive tax reductions, and more.
These structures naturally serve multiple purposes beyond hail protection. The hail-resistant coverage offers protection from extreme heat and the sun’s harmful UV rays, which can damage vehicles over time. They also provide shade, making parking lots cooler and more comfortable for visitors and workers.
Added Solar Hail Structure Functionality Options
There are many ways companies can add further functionality to solar hail structures. The various features cater to different budgets and requirements, but some useful options include incorporating car charging ports, surveillance systems, lighting, and branding.
Car Charging Ports
Every year, more and more Americans consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) to help combat climate change and reduce their carbon footprint. Car manufacturers have responded by increasing their EV production. However, many consumers still struggle to find reliable charging ports away from home. The Biden administration has announced their plans to increase EV infrastructure throughout the country, but this will take some time.
In the meantime, businesses have an opportunity to incorporate EV charging stations into their properties as a benefit for consumers. Instead of building separate charging stations, designers can add them to solar hail structures as extra functionality. The energy generated from the solar panels will provide power to these stations, so there’s no extra energy consumption.
A few benefits of adding EV charging ports to solar structure designs include:
- Space savings: EV charging stations require space for the equipment and the cars themselves. By combining charging stations with solar hail structures, companies can reduce the amount of space needed for this service.
- Added convenience: Companies that provide charging stations under hail structures offer added convenience to visitors — they won’t need to park and charge their cars in separate locations.
- Income generation: Businesses can create an income stream by offering charging services to visitors and clients. Business owners can also charge higher parking fees for covered parking spots with charging stations.
Surveillance Systems
Parking lots — with their wide open spaces and lower activity levels — often see high levels of crime, including car theft and vandalism. One way for a business to combat this issue is to install surveillance cameras. Companies planning on adding solar carport structures can integrate surveillance equipment within the structure and use the energy from the solar panels to power them.
Companies that add surveillance equipment to the design of solar hail structures see the following benefits:
- Simplified installation: Instead of adding surveillance cameras at a later date, designers can account for these systems during the structure planning phase to make installation faster and easier.
- Lower costs: Combining surveillance equipment installation with solar hail structure implementation will save companies money. Adding them after construction is completed will require costly alterations or additional purchases.
- Happier visitors: Visitors may feel safer and more comfortable parking their cars under carport structures with visible security cameras.
